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Truck that drove off Causeway expected to be recovered Thursday morning

Traffic sits on the northbound Causeway as emergency lights are visible at left where there is a serious wreck around mile marker 5 on Wednesday evening, February 6, 2013.
(Photo by Photo by Michael DeMocker, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

The truck that drove off of the southbound Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Wednesday afternoon is expected to be recovered Thursday morning, and divers are on their way to the area to assist with the process, Bridge General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said Thursday morning. Authorities are waiting until after the morning commute to retrieve the submerged vehicle.

The fate of the driver and any other occupents inside the vehicle is unknown.

Dufrechou said the truck caught fire and went over the side of the southbound span about 4 1/2 miles from Metairie at about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Several local agencies as well as the U.S. Coast Guard launched a search and rescue effort. Both sides of the bridge were closed in the process.

The northbound span reopened by 6 p.m.

Dufrechou had said late Wednesday that authorities discovered diesel fuel on the bridge and cleaned it up. They also spotted a pattern of marks, which made investigators think a tire on a truck possibly blew out, the vehicle knocked out more than 120 feet of railing on the bridge before tumbling into the water, he said.

Dufrechou expected the railing, a cosmetic feature, would be replaced by the end of the week. He said the barrier below the railing was scarred but not structurally damaged, meaning it is still safe for traffic.